Transcript 10EOWChapter04

Chapter Introduction
Section 1: Physical
Features
Section 2: Climate Regions
Summary
age fotostock/SuperStock
Regions The United States
and Canada cover most of the
land area of North America,
stretching from the Pacific
Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean.
These two huge countries
share many of the same
physical features, resources,
and climates. How do
landforms and climate help
or hinder transportation in a
vast region?
Section 1:
Physical Features
Geographers organize the
Earth into regions that share
common characteristics. The
United States and Canada
share a long border and many
landforms. Their economies are
closely linked by trade. Their
governments have also worked
together on major projects that
have changed the land and
benefited both countries.
Section 2:
Climate Regions
The physical environment
affects how people live. A
diversity of climates in the
United States and Canada
leads to different ways of life.
Some parts of this region
experience natural hazards
that can threaten people’s
safety.
Geographers organize the Earth into
regions that share common
characteristics.
Content Vocabulary
• contiguous
• canyon
• megalopolis
• navigable
• prairie
• glacier
• cordillera
• divide
Academic Vocabulary
• constrain
• route
Have you ever been to Canada?
A. Yes
B. No
A. A
B. B
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In California’s Redwood National Park, during 2006,
naturalists discovered what is now recognized as the
world’s tallest tree. Named Hyperion, it is 379.1 feet
(115.5 m) tall—as much as one-and-a-quarter football
fields long!
Major Landforms
The region rises in elevation
from east to west.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• The United States and Canada, covering
most of North America, are bordered by
the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic
Ocean to the east, the Gulf of Mexico in
the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean in
the west.
• Canada occupies most of the northern part of
North America and is the second-largest
country in the world after Russia.
• The United States is the third-largest country.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• Most of the United States stretches across
the middle part of North America.
• The 48 states in this part of the country are
contiguous, or joined together inside a
common boundary.
• Alaska lies in the northwestern part of
North America, adjacent to Canada, and
Hawaii is an island group in the Pacific
Ocean.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• A broad lowland runs along the Atlantic
and the Gulf of Mexico coasts.
• In northeastern areas, the thin and rocky
soil constrains, or limits, farming.
• A fertile, hilly area called the Piedmont
stretches inland from the coastal plain.
• Harbors along the Atlantic coast have led
to the growth of shipping ports.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• The cities of Halifax, Boston, New York
City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.,
all lie along or near the Atlantic coast,
forming a connected area of urban
communities called a megalopolis.
• The coastal plain along the Gulf of Mexico
is wider than the Atlantic plain, and soils in
this region are better than those along the
Atlantic coast.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• Large cities here include Houston and
New Orleans. West and north of the
eastern coastal plain are highland areas
that include the Appalachian Mountains.
• West of the eastern highlands are vast
interior lowlands.
• In the north lies the Canadian Shield, a
horseshoe-shaped area of rocky hills,
lakes, and evergreen forests that wraps
around the Hudson Bay.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• With poor soil and a cold climate, the
Canadian Shield is not farmable, but it
does contain many mineral deposits such
as iron ore, copper, and nickel.
• South of the Canadian Shield and west of
the Appalachians lie the Central Lowlands
with grassy hills, rolling flatlands, thick
forests, and fertile farmland.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• Important waterways are the Great Lakes
and the Mississippi River.
– Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto are
located here.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• The Great Plains stretch west of the
Mississippi River, gradually rising in
elevation from east to west.
• Much of this region is a prairie, or rolling
inland grassland with fertile soil.
• Grains, cattle, and reserves of coal, oil,
and natural gas are important
products here.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• West of the Great Plains is a cordillera, or
a group of mountain ranges that run side
by side.
• At the eastern edge of the cordillera, the
Rocky Mountains begin in Alaska and run
south to New Mexico.
• Near the Pacific coast, the Sierra Nevada,
the Cascade Range, the Coast Range,
and the Alaska Range mountain chains
make up the western part of the cordillera.
Major Landforms (cont.)
• Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range rises
to 20,320 feet (6,194 m), the highest point
in North America.
• Between the Pacific ranges and the Rocky
Mountains is a stretch of dry basins and
high plateaus.
• In the southern part of this area, rivers
have worn through rock to create
canyons, or deep valleys with steep sides,
including the Grand Canyon of the
Colorado River.
Which statement is true about the
Appalachian Mountains?
A. Contains tallest U.S.
mountain
B. Oldest mountain
range in U.S.
C. Rich in gold deposits
D. Both A and C
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Bodies of Water
The region’s waterways
provide transportation and
electric power.
Bodies of Water (cont.)
• The United States and Canada have
numerous freshwater lakes and rivers.
• Many of the region’s rivers are navigable,
or wide and deep enough to allow the
passage of ships.
• The Great Lakes—the world’s largest
group of freshwater lakes—lie in the
central part of the region.
Bodies of Water (cont.)
• Thousands of years ago, glaciers formed
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake
Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
• The waters of these connected lakes flow
into the St. Lawrence River, which empties
into the Atlantic Ocean.
St. Lawrence Seaway and Locks
Bodies of Water (cont.)
• The St. Lawrence River, one of Canada’s
most important rivers, flows for 750 miles
(1,207 km) from Lake Ontario to the Gulf
of St. Lawrence in the Atlantic Ocean.
– Quebec, Montreal, and Ottawa developed
in this area.
St. Lawrence Seaway and Locks
Bodies of Water (cont.)
• For many years, various obstructions kept
ships from navigating the entire route, or
journey, from the Great Lakes to the
Atlantic Ocean.
• Then, in the mid-1900s, the United States
and Canada built the St. Lawrence Seaway,
which links these bodies of water.
St. Lawrence Seaway and Locks
Bodies of Water (cont.)
• The Mississippi river is North America’s
longest river. It flows 2,350 miles (3,782 km),
beginning as a stream in Minnesota and
enlarging to a width of 1.5 miles (2.4 km)
before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.
• The Mississippi River system is the major
waterway for the central region.
• It drains about 1.2 million square miles (3.1
million sq. km) of land, including all or part of
31 American states and much of central
Canada.
Bodies of Water (cont.)
• The high ridge of the Rocky Mountains is
called the Continental Divide. A divide is a
high point that determines the direction that
rivers flow.
• Northeast of the Rockies, the Mackenzie
River flows from the Great Slave Lake to the
Arctic Ocean, draining much of northern
Canada’s interior.
Which of the following is NOT a
“Great Lake”?
A. Lake Ontario
B. Lake Champlain
C. Lake Michigan
D. Lake Huron
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Natural Resources
The region has many energy,
mineral, and other natural
resources.
Natural Resources (cont.)
• Although the United States has oil and
natural gas reserves, the country uses
nearly three times the amount of oil that it
produces and must import more in order to
meet the nation’s needs.
• Canada exports both oil and natural gas,
much of it to the United States.
• Canada’s area in or near the province of
Alberta has the world’s largest reserves of
oil in the form of oil mixed with sand.
Natural Resources (cont.)
• The United States and Canada also have
significant amounts of coal.
– Coal is mined in the Appalachian
Mountains, Wyoming, and British
Columbia.
Natural Resources (cont.)
• The rivers and lakes in some areas of the
United States and Canada provide
hydroelectric energy.
– Niagara Falls is a major source of
hydroelectric power for both countries.
Natural Resources (cont.)
• Farmers grow corn in the Central
Lowlands, which receive plentiful rainfall,
and wheat on the drier Great Plains.
• The wet, mild climate of western
Washington and Oregon supports dairy
farming and the growing of fruits and
vegetables.
• Irrigation is used in the drier eastern areas
of these two states to grow grain.
Natural Resources (cont.)
• The warm, wet valleys of central California
yield more than 200 different crops.
• In the south central part of British
Columbia, fruits and vegetables are grown
on irrigated land.
Natural Resources (cont.)
• Today, forests cover less than 50 percent
of Canada and about one-third of the
United States.
– Still, lumber and wood products, such as
paper, are major Canadian exports.
Natural Resources (cont.)
• The timber industry is also strong in the
states of Oregon and Washington.
• Coastal waters are important to the
region’s economy and support large
fishing industries.
• In recent years, however, the region’s
Atlantic fishing grounds have suffered from
overfishing.
Which of the following is a major
export of Canada?
A. Natural gas
B. Lumber
C. Coal
D. All of the above
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The physical environment affects
how people live.
Content Vocabulary
• drought
• hurricane
• tornado
• blizzard
Academic Vocabulary
• diverse
• adapt
• restore
Does the area you live in experience
tornadoes?
A. Yes
B. No
A. A
B. B
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B
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The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 tore through
Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, killing
nearly 600 people and injuring three times that many.
The destruction of homes, other structures, boats, and
the fishing industry was almost immeasurable. Unlike
today, the storm was hardly reported by national
newspapers and radio stations.
A Varied Region
Most people in the United
States and Canada live in
temperate climate regions.
A Varied Region (cont.)
• The vast territory of the United States and
Canada is diverse in both climates and
vegetation.
• Most people live in the middle latitudes
where climates are more moderate.
• The extremely cold tundra climate along
the Arctic Ocean’s coastline prevents the
growth of trees and most plants.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• In the subarctic region farther south,
forests of evergreens are specially
adapted to the climate.
• The area from southern Alaska to northern
California has a marine west coast climate
of year-round mild temperatures and
abundant rainfall.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• Southern California has a Mediterranean
climate of warm, dry summers and mild,
wet winters with much less rainfall than in
northern areas.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• The inland West has a desert climate of hot
summers and mild winters. Here, Pacific
coastal mountains block humid ocean winds.
• Hot, dry air gets trapped between the
Pacific ranges and the Rockies, resulting
in little rainfall in the inland West.
• Areas on the eastern side of the Rockies
have a partly dry steppe climate.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• Droughts, or long periods without rainfall,
are a serious challenge to farmers and
ranchers who can lose crops and animals.
• The Great Plains have a humid continental
climate with cold, snowy winters and hot,
humid summers.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• Enough precipitation falls to support prairie
grasses and grains, although dry weather
sometimes affects the area.
• In the 1930s, winds eroded loose topsoil and
turned the area into a wasteland called the
Dust Bowl, but today’s better farming
methods have restored this area’s soil.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• The eastern United States and Canada have
humid climate regions with plenty of yearround precipitation.
• The northeastern United States and some
areas of eastern Canada have a humid
continental climate.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• The southeastern United States has a humid
subtropical climate.
• In summer, warm air from the south blocks
cold Arctic air from reaching the eastern
areas.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• In winter, however, the northeast receives
strong blasts of icy Arctic air.
– For example, in Boston, Massachusetts,
January temperatures can drop to an
average low of 22ºF (–6ºC).
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• Areas in the southeast still receive some
warmth from the south, resulting in an
average January temperature in Atlanta,
Georgia, of 41ºF (5ºC).
• Southern Florida has a tropical dry climate,
with hot temperatures in summer and
warm winters.
• Rainfall occurs mainly during
the summer.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
A Varied Region (cont.)
• Hawaii, the other tropical area, has yearround temperatures that average above
70ºF (21ºC).
• Rainfall, which varies throughout the state,
supports tropical rain forests.
United States and Canada: Climate Zones
Which state has a tropical climate?
A. Texas
B. Hawaii
C. Florida
D. Both B and C
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Natural Hazards
Hurricanes, tornadoes, and
earthquakes can threaten
parts of the region.
Natural Hazards (cont.)
• A tornado is a windstorm in the form of a
funnel-shaped cloud that often touches the
ground.
• Tornadoes are often associated with
strong lines of thunderstorms and may
have winds of more than 300 mph (482 km
per hour).
• The central United States, called “Tornado
Alley,” sees more tornadoes each year
than any other place in the world.
Natural Hazards (cont.)
• Hurricanes are wind systems that form
over the ocean in tropical areas and bring
violent storms with heavy rains.
• They also can create a storm surge, or
high levels of seawater that flood low-lying
coastal areas.
• Hurricanes most often strike along the
southeastern Atlantic coast and the Gulf of
Mexico, but they can also hit northeastern
states.
Natural Hazards (cont.)
• One of the most damaging hurricanes in
history, Hurricane Katrina, struck the coast
of the Gulf of Mexico in August of 2005,
damaging a wide area from Mobile,
Alabama, to New Orleans, Louisiana.
• More than 1,800 people died, and hundreds of
thousands lost their homes.
Natural Hazards (cont.)
• Blizzards are severe winter storms that
last several hours and combine high winds
with heavy snow, sometimes causing
“white-out” conditions that limit how far
people can see.
Natural Hazards (cont.)
• While earthquakes can occur anywhere in
the region, most take place along the
Pacific coast.
• This area lies along various fault lines, or
areas of weakness in the Earth where two
tectonic plates meet.
Natural Hazards (cont.)
• The area where tectonic plates meet can
also be the site of volcanoes.
– Volcanoes are found in the Pacific coast
mountains, southern Alaska, and Hawaii.
– Most are now dormant, or unlikely to
erupt soon.
– Several of Hawaii’s volcanoes are
still active.
In North America, where are
volcanoes found?
A. South west
B. Northern Alaska
C. Hawaii
D. All of the above
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Major Landforms
• The East has low coastal plains and
heavily eroded highlands.
• Lowland areas with minerals and rich soil
make up the region’s interior.
• The West has several parallel mountain
ranges. Plateaus, basins, and valleys lie
between the mountains.
Major Bodies of Water
• The Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence
Seaway support trade between the region’s
interior areas and other parts of the world.
• The Mississippi River is the most important
waterway in the central part of the United
States.
Natural Resources
• The region’s energy resources include oil,
natural gas, and coal.
• Abundant mineral resources are found in the
eastern highlands, the Canadian Shield, and
the western mountains.
• Rich soils support farming in the Central
Lowlands, the Great Plains, and western
valleys.
Climate Regions
• Most Americans and Canadians live in
moderate, middle-latitude climate areas.
• The inland West has dry and semidry
climates because mountains block moist air.
• Pacific coastal areas generally have mild,
wet climates.
Natural Hazards
• Tornadoes occur primarily in the central area
of the region.
• Hurricanes can bring heavy winds and rain
to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
• Earthquakes are a destructive threat along
coastal fault lines in the West.
• Volcanoes are found in western coastal
areas, Alaska, and Hawaii. Most are
dormant.
contiguous
joined together inside a common
boundary
megalopolis
huge urban area made up of several
large cities and nearby communities
prairie
rolling inland grassland region with
fertile soil
cordillera
region of parallel mountain chains
canyon
deep valleys with steep sides
navigable
referring to a body of water wide and
deep enough for ships to use
glacier
giant sheets of ice
divide
the high point in a landmass that
determines the direction rivers flow
constrain
limit
route
journey
drought
long period of time without rainfall
tornado
severe windstorm that takes the form
of a funnel-shaped cloud and often
touches the ground
hurricane
wind system that forms over the
ocean in tropical areas and brings
violent storms with heavy rains
blizzard
severe winter storm that lasts several
hours and combines high winds with
heavy snow
diverse
varied
adapt
change
restore
return; to put or bring back into
existence or use
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